Timeline of a Greek tragedy

(ATHENS) - The Greek government faces another nation-wide strike on Thursday against landmark austerity measures to avert bankruptcy and reform the entire economy.

Here are key dates in the crisis, which has undermined the cohesion of the eurozone, as Athens awaits a verdict on Tuesday from the European Commission on its programme.

The decision of the Commission has immediate implications for the standing of Greece on international financial markets: Greece has to ensure funding by May to redeem debt of 20 billion euros (27 billion dollars).

October 4, 2009: Socialist George Papandreou wins a resounding victory in a general election, and becomes prime minister.

October 5, 2009: The government says it will cut spending and fight tax fraud to reduce the public deficit from 12.7 percent of output to 9.4 percent in 2010, but Papandreou promises to stand by "commitments for more social justice."

October 16, 2009: Papandreou warns parliament that the country's finances are in "a state of emergency".

November 12, 2009: The government says the state pension system is a "black hole".

November 13, 2009: Greece reveals a hidden recession and blames the previous Conservative government for misreporting key economic data.

November 20, 2009: Papandreou puts forward a budget to cut the public deficit to 9.1 percent of GDP to save the economy from the "emergency room".

November 27, 2009: Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou says that doubts on financial markets about the solvency of Greek public finances, which were raising sharply the cost of borrowing for Greece, were "without foundation" and the result of "speculative activity".

December 9, 2009: Papandreou declares the country to be in a financial crisis and facing the worst threat since the end of military dictatorship in 1974. The debt threatens "national sovereignty" and could "eliminate the country", he warns.

December, 2009: The world's three main credit ratings agencies, Fitch, Standard & Poor's and Moody's, downgrade Greece's sovereign debt.

December 24, 2009: On Christmas Eve, parliament adopts a crisis budget to cut the public deficit to 9.1 percent of GDP.

February 3: The European Commission gives its approval to Greece's austerity plans and unveils a system of unprecedented controls to monitor progress.

February 11: EU leaders pledge solidarity with Greece at an emergency meeting in Brussels but offer few hints on any potential financial assistance.

February 24: A 24-hour general strike brings Greece to a standstill. Police clash with hundreds of protesters as tens of thousands take to the streets.

February 26: Socialist Prime Minister Papandreou warns that Greece risks possible bankruptcy unless strict austerity measures are implemented.

March 3: Under new pressure from the EU and financial markets, and in the absence of financial help from the EU, the government announces radical further budget cuts to reduce the public deficit to 8.7 percent of output.

March 11: Greece grinds to a halt as thousands strike work for a second time in two weeks to protest against the government's austerity plan, crippling public transport, health services and shutting schools.